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water purification

Gareth · 26 · 5209

scotland Offline Gareth

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water purification
on: April 02, 2012, 11:25:56 PM
I'm wondering what you folks use for your water purification needs.  Personally I've used chlorine tablets for years now and have never had an issue, but I know there are many other products out there.  Are there any great advantages to them?
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gb Offline Millhouse

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Re: water purification
Reply #1 on: April 02, 2012, 11:41:05 PM
Only ever had to sterilise water once, and that was for a hot drink.

I do plan on adding some Chlorine Dioxide tablets to my kit. This is is the replacement for iodine treatments and is meant to be odourless as well.
If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.


us Offline Heinz Doofenshmirtz

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Re: water purification
Reply #2 on: April 03, 2012, 06:47:59 AM
Pur Hiker Pro.  Never had an issue with it.  It's been rugged and reliable.  Last summer my wife rebuilt the filtration matrix with new parts.

Here in California we have a pretty massive population (fully 10% of the entire USA lives here), so we have a BIG giardia issue in the mountains.  IIRC it's something that chlorine doesn't kill.  You either have to have a high quality filter, or boil it.
The first Noble Truth: life is suffering.  Only by accepting that fact can we transcend it.


us Offline tattoosteve99

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water purification
Reply #3 on: April 03, 2012, 02:41:33 PM
I can't remember the name of those tabs they have in the UK but I want some....oh I think aquatabs. Anyone want to be so kind as too send me some? Link

http://www.aquatabs.com/
If I remember correctly, wait, what was I saying?


br Offline Santos

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Re: water purification
Reply #4 on: April 03, 2012, 05:37:17 PM
i'm stingy thrifty, i boil water. I also when travelling have pack stomach medicine, cant remember ever needing it and i have drank from some pretty dubious sources. I guess my trick is to not continuesly drink from unknown quantities. Eg i might have one glass of tap water with the locals and besides that íts been bottled or boiled.

Prevention is better than cure, but stomach medicine covers more than water.

 I wonder though with all that survivalist stuff if their is wisdom in keeping a small 25ml travel bottled filled with bleach/chlorine for times boiling isn't possible but hydrating neccessary  ???  ???
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ca Offline Suveges

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Re: water purification
Reply #5 on: April 03, 2012, 05:50:07 PM
If i'm too lazy to pump, i use Katadyn Micropur.  Otherwise Katadyn Pocket filter.  Chlorine will absolutely kill giardia, you just have to let it sit longer.  Cryptosporidium is even worse.


um Offline Mr. Whippy

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Re: water purification
Reply #6 on: April 03, 2012, 05:58:05 PM
Steripen is a UV inactivation process.  Good for virus, bacteria, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.

The only downside is, the water has to be fairly clear.  Murky water blocks the UV light.  For muddy, sludgy water, I like the MSR flitration systems.  The advantages? Much faster and no funny aftertaste.


ca Offline jzmtl

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Re: water purification
Reply #7 on: April 03, 2012, 06:13:20 PM
Steripen is a UV inactivation process.  Good for virus, bacteria, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.

The only downside is, the water has to be fairly clear.  Murky water blocks the UV light.  For muddy, sludgy water, I like the MSR flitration systems.  The advantages? Much faster and no funny aftertaste.

Say, don't you work in a pathology lab? Maybe some test is in order?  :D

Too bad I don't work in biology lab anymore, or I'd go get some bugs from parasitology lab and try them out.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2012, 06:15:17 PM by jzmtl »


us Offline Heinz Doofenshmirtz

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Re: water purification
Reply #8 on: April 03, 2012, 09:28:09 PM
Chlorine will absolutely kill giardia, you just have to let it sit longer.
Good to know... I couldn't remember for sure.

Just as an FYI to everyone about this, in one of my survival classes they told us that iodine also works well for purifying water, but it also leaves a funny taste.  However, you can use vitamin C to inactivate the iodine afterwards and reduce that icky taste it leaves in the water.  Not sure if chlorine will also do that, but if so, that seems like a win-win for filter-less water treatment as you'd get the benefits of both iodine and chlorine.  I know some things are better treated with chlorine, and others with iodine, so that would be a bonus as well.
The first Noble Truth: life is suffering.  Only by accepting that fact can we transcend it.


ca Offline Suveges

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Re: water purification
Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 12:56:54 AM
Just grab some of this http://www.rei.com/product/695229/katadyn-micropur-purification-tablets-package-of-30

4 hours will clean the worst water, I know it's a long time to wait for a drink but it'll be clean at the end.


us Offline Heinz Doofenshmirtz

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Re: water purification
Reply #10 on: April 05, 2012, 12:06:56 AM
Just grab some of this http://www.rei.com/product/695229/katadyn-micropur-purification-tablets-package-of-30

4 hours will clean the worst water, I know it's a long time to wait for a drink but it'll be clean at the end.
Excellent!  It kills crypto too?  Bonus!  Thanks for the link!  Good to know. :)
The first Noble Truth: life is suffering.  Only by accepting that fact can we transcend it.


ca Offline jzmtl

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Re: water purification
Reply #11 on: April 05, 2012, 02:19:29 AM
Yes I think micropur is the only tablet will kill cryptosporidium.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: water purification
Reply #12 on: April 20, 2012, 05:21:32 AM
I carry some Chlor Floc packets in my EDC. I don't do any hiking these days. When i did, I was a poor teenager, and I did the cheap-a$$ boil method.


us Offline sergemaster

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Re: water purification
Reply #13 on: May 11, 2012, 11:20:06 PM
Amici,
When I'm in the field usually on a day hike, I use a 3 quart reservoir from Camelbak in my pack to keep me hydrated.

BUT as a backup, I also carry potable aqua teblets jfor ust in case.

I also keep in my GHB a Berkley Point water bottle that works on the same system as the Aquamira Frontier Emergency Water Filter System straw does utilizing a charcoal filter.

A Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter I keep on hand in case of a SHTF scenario along with a 30 gallon water bob.

Camelbak has introduced a water bottle that filters and kills bacteria using UV rays which is good, just as long as you have batteries on hand to power the filter system with.

Cheers,
Serge
« Last Edit: May 11, 2012, 11:29:03 PM by sergemaster »
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nl Offline Wootz

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Re: water purification
Reply #14 on: March 22, 2013, 03:59:47 PM
I'm really happy with MSR miniworks and dromedary bag. Nalgene bottles fit too.
Not very light, practical, build to last, rather bulky. I've used the dromedary bag on occassion as a pillow,
and filled with air as a floating thingy.

MSR.JPG
* MSR.JPG (Filesize: 37.98 KB)
« Last Edit: March 22, 2013, 04:01:41 PM by Wootz »


us Offline Pacu

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Re: water purification
Reply #15 on: March 22, 2013, 04:27:15 PM
we used polar pure in scouts when backpacking. Our scoutmaster was paranoid. We did the rolling boil method then polar pured the H out of it. Tang, Koolaid, and other flavoured drinks killed the iodine taste.



Later one our next scoutmaster bought us a couple Katadyn filters. Worked great but required more care than teen scouts would give it. Looked like this..


had a ceramic filter you had to scrub with what looked like a big spark plug cleaner. Also you had to keep the end off the bottom of the body of water to keep from mucking up the filter.

Fit and finish on a katadyn is top notch IMO.
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us Offline Nhoj

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Re: water purification
Reply #16 on: March 22, 2013, 06:00:06 PM
I use a Katadyn hiker pro, a Katadyn mybottle purifier, and if I have a malfunction with a filter (which has happened to me) I have iodine tablets. Iodine aftertaste is no worry to me though because they come with separate tablets that remove bad taste


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: water purification
Reply #17 on: March 22, 2013, 06:41:16 PM
some excellent kit there gents. :tu:
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


us Offline colt 1911

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Re: water purification
Reply #18 on: May 14, 2014, 07:02:19 PM
We use a katadyn pocket filter and boil if needed.


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us Offline ironraven

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Re: water purification
Reply #19 on: May 18, 2014, 05:06:02 AM
Oh boy... what do I own.

Katadyn Mini, love the efficency and life cycle, hate that I have to keep it from freezing in winter. I keep one of the smaller Frontier units, new, in my car kit, and one in my ditch kit- same problems as the Katadyn. I used to have the DIY Berkey system with a filter attached to a couple of buckets up at camp, but there was a family decision to sell that, and I let the bucket go with cabin- it had the same problem, but but my roommate and I both have this rig stored at our respective parents' homes. I'm currently thinking of picking up a Sawyer Mini, palm sized and .1 micron and the price is right, but I have to wonder how hard it is to push the water through.

For chemicals, I hate the taste of iodine, but the tablets last five years in the bottle so long as you don't break the seal, then the clock is running, so for stuff I'm storing longer term I use those. Tincture of iodine is in almost all of my FAKs that are big enough for the bottle, and I've used that to. UGH! But better than the bloody flux. Bleach is just as bad. But vitamin C, ascorbic acid, bonds with both so it chemically kills the flavor. The tap water at work tastes like a swimming pool, but add lemonaid or ice tea with lemon powder or tang or a pouch of Emergen'C, and you can just watch the white particulate snow to the bottom of your water bottle- just make sure you wait a couple hours if you are doing this with iffy water.

I've switched over to chlorine dioxide tablets for most of my gear though. If I only think I need a couple, like in my EDC/Get-home bag and my PSK, they last as long as the iodines in the bottle, but I only am exposing them to air one at a time.

Of course, everything gets strained first, and I like to boil everything. Just bring it to a rolling boil and get it off the heat, cover if you can, and let it cool to tea temps. Pasteurization occurs below that temp unless you are well up in the mountains. The old WWII-surplus of idea of boiling it for five minutes is just a waste of time and fuel.
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spam Offline comis

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Re: water purification
Reply #20 on: May 20, 2014, 05:56:54 AM
I am a gear junkie, so there are probably more gears at home that I actually need them for. :facepalm:

For the casual camping, boiling water is the best if the water is clean and the source is trusted.  And if the water source is doubtful, I will use coffee maker filter and combined with a MSR sweesmurfer pump-action filter before the boil.  It is more efficient and can treat relatively large volume of water in a short time.  I think it is good for most bacteria, but not crypto. 

For my large size survival kit, I use AquaMira frontier, which ideally can treat 25 gallons of water(also can filter Cryto).  If by the end of 25 gallons of water, I still didn't get my sorry ass rescued, well, that's another story.... :D

Last is the small size survival kit(about 2 altoid tin size), I use Aquamira and Katadyn chloride dioxide tabs.  I have 12 tabs in the tin, along with 2 1L standable heavy duty water bag in it.  You know how people say the new Chloride dioxide tabs 'tasted' far better than iodine tabs/drops, I actually beg to differ.  I have tested it with clean water from 1/2 hour up to 4 hours, on many different occasion, and even for a few days on a roll.  No matter what, it still taste like swimming pool to me.  But for small survival kit, they are really the best option I think.





I've switched over to chlorine dioxide tablets for most of my gear though. If I only think I need a couple, like in my EDC/Get-home bag and my PSK, they last as long as the iodines in the bottle, but I only am exposing them to air one at a time.



The only thing I wish is the Chloride dioxide tabs can be all stored together in a small vial or bottle, however, they are very reactive in nature and probably will expire much sooner once they leave the package.  One very important issue about using them is really try hard not to touch it with hand, because they may cause serious harm if you rub your eyes later(just looking at how they react with water, pretty violent stuff).


cs Offline edcgear

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Re: water purification
Reply #21 on: May 20, 2014, 08:40:04 PM
:popcorn:

due to the current situation here, and obvious climate changes plus at least three lives depending on me, not to mention my and mrs parents I started thinking more seriously on this subject...

So from the easiest, cheapest and most accessible point of view I consider Iodine tincture, bleach and boiling... Used in clever way these things can make it reasonably for human use...

But on the other hand I'm also interested in more stuff and therefore will subscribe on this thread...
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us Offline toolguy

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Re: water purification
Reply #22 on: May 20, 2014, 10:36:36 PM
I don't do chemicals ever.I even avoid the chlorine in my drinking and shower water.These are nasty chemicals and their byproducts, trichloromethanes,are even nastier.

All of our drinking water is distilled using a commercial distiller made by Durastill.

Our shower water is filtered using a variety of filtering media.

When we camp or hunt I use two methods to prepare my water for drinking.I use a Katadyn to remove bacteria and chemicals and then I use ultraviolet light to kill any possible virus that may exist.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  **Edmund Burke**

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."    **Benjamin Franklin**


spam Offline comis

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Re: water purification
Reply #23 on: May 22, 2014, 08:33:03 PM
Hi, Toolguy.

That sounds like a good system for camp water, do you have any robust UV light that you would recommend?  I owed one from a long long time ago, and frankly I don't even have any faith it will survive the mildest drop on the ground.

As for the trichloromethane, I am not good with Chemistry, where and when will this be found?  During chlorination of the water?  Will any chloride dioxide tablets produce this during the purification of the water?


hr Offline styx

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Re: water purification
Reply #24 on: May 22, 2014, 09:30:59 PM
potassium permanganate. it's not the best thing, you can poison yourself but since i had some health issues as a kid that required me to use potassium permanganate it was readily available. other than that i'd probably go with chlorine drops or sawyer mini
Solving problems you didn't know you had in the most obscure way possible

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us Offline toolguy

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Re: water purification
Reply #25 on: May 22, 2014, 11:10:17 PM
Hi, Toolguy.
That sounds like a good system for camp water, do you have any robust UV light that you would recommend?  I owed one from a long long time ago, and frankly I don't even have any faith it will survive the mildest drop on the ground.
As for the trichloromethane, I am not good with Chemistry, where and when will this be found?  During chlorination of the water?  Will any chloride dioxide tablets produce this during the purification of the water?

First of all I'm not a chemist either but I do work at avoiding any chemicals that I can.

This is a good system although it requires two steps.If you're in an area that is not frequented by livestock the second step,that is using UV light to kill viruses,may not be necessary.There are many regions that I backpack into that have restrictions on campfires,so boiling is out of the question.

Tricholormethanes will be found anywhere chlorine is present.It is especially concentrated in closed environments,such as bathrooms while taking a hot shower.

The UV system we've depended upon is marketed by Steripen.We have two of their systems,one is battery operated and the other generates its own energy via a crank handle,much the same as crank radios or flashlights.As I already stated,if there is no possible contamination by animals we only use the Katadyn.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  **Edmund Burke**

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."    **Benjamin Franklin**


 

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